EU ambassador wants next admin to continue the momentum of the Mindanao peace process

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary His Excellency Franz Jessen, the head of delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines with President Benigno Aquino III in ceremonies at Malacañan Palace on November 5, 2016.
(Photo courtesy of the official Facebook page of the Official Gazette of the Philippines).

MANILA—Ambassador Franz Jessen of the European Union Delegation to the Philippines (EU) said on Monday that the peace process between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GPH-MILF) should sustain its momentum even under the next administration.

The EU Ambassador stressed that the Mindanao peace process must continue and remain a priority even after President Benigno Aquino III’s administration, so as not to lose the momentum gained over the years.

“The current government has done their best to try to promote the peace process and of course that momentum should be maintained by the new administration,” Jessen told reporters on the sidelines of the launching of a historic publication named “Journey to the Bangsamoro.”

“We are going through that process now to try to see that the handover to the new administration, from our point of view, is the most constructive,” he added.

Jessen laid out plans to meet with the various presidential candidates to talk about the overall platform that each will offer regarding the peace negotiations.

The ambassador explained how the elements of peace and stability affect investors and influence their decisions to develop Mindanao.

“The European investments are not as strong as they should be in the Philippines because of some uncertainties about the peace process,” Jessen said.

Jessen still assured that EU will remain committed in the peace process to ensure its success, noting that its result “would affect us in a global scale.”

“We have a very substantial support program in Mindanao covering different aspects of the peace process and also economic development in the region and they will continue that,” said the EU ambassador.

“We are spending currently about 35 million euros in ongoing programs. It’s a quite substantive financial commitment that we have to the process,” he added.